Even After
by Arachay
Summary: "I'll be right here, waiting for you... no matter how long it takes... I promise." Sanosuke Sagara & Sayo Magdalia in a past life, sort of AU fic. SanoSayo Forever! FInally, it's concluded! Sorry I took forever.
1. Ghosts of a Past Life

"**Even After****" **(Part 1 of 3)**  
**A Sanosuke x Sayo AU gothic romance by 'haunted' **Arachay  
**(reposted with minor revisions: 08-12-2012)

**Series: **Rurouni Kenshin (the anime)  
**Characters/Pairing:** Sanosuke Sagara & Sayo Magdaria (SanoSayo)  
**Genre:** Gothic Romance, AU, Tragedy  
**Warnings:** This is a bit depressing, very depressing for those who are more sensitive, and of course, for those who love Sano & Sayo, as much as I do... they really broke my heart bad. Also, character death...  
**Disclaimer:** Main characters based on Rurouni Kenshin created by Nobuhiro Watsuki

**A/N: **I chose to keep Kenshin's real name here, so he is Shinta.

* * *

Part 1: **Ghosts of a Past Life**

T_here is a thin line between life & death... between coincidence & fate..._

_A clap of thunder._

It was dark now, and the strong wind that blew leaves high up into the air harshly conveyed admonitions of a storm. Still he was undaunted. If it were of any relevance to him, it served only to reinforce his enthusiasm, and to him, his heartbeat pounded louder than the roaring thunder. He moved forward with impetuous speed.

"Sano!" someone called out to him.

A clap of thunder again, this time louder & much nearer. Shinta froze in his tracks, out of breath and exhausted, as he tried to keep up with his best friend's hasty pace.

"C'mon Shinta!" Sano stopped to look back at his companion. "We can't turn back now! We're almost there!"

Shinta eyed his hyperactive companion with sympathetic disapproval. _Why does this always happen to him?_ Why was he out here in the middle of the night, shivering down to his shins at the mercy of the violently cold breeze. He had let Sano drag him out of his cozy bed, to investigate some forsaken castle. Yes, Sano always had a taste for strange adventure, he should know. But this was his most outlandish idea yet! _So why was he out there with him, like it was a perfectly normal thing to do?_

Shinta smiled to himself as the answer dawned upon him instantaneously. They had been the best of friends for as long as he could tell. He extremely favored Sano, and the feeling was mutual. To everyone, they were the inseparable twins of two different families, and to him Sano was the brother he never had. They got along so well that they had never once fought, even though the latter was much, much younger than he was.

Now, was one of those many situations alike, despite Sano's impulsive habit of coaxing Shinta into such anomalous perils, he was always the one helpless to decline. And Sano never failed to remind him:_ 'What are best friends for, right?'... _

With a sigh, Shinta continued to ascend the steep slope, pushing thick, barbed branches aside, he eyed the run-down old sign that Sano had just passed. It ominously read:

**No Trespassing**

"Sano, we really should go back. It's starting to rain." Shinta finally spoke up. "Besides, there's nothing worth seeing up there. I don't think-"

"You're not scared are ya?" Sano's voice interjected with a hint of goading. "Do you actually buy all that 'stuff' about a curse?!"

Shinta smiled wryly. He tried to sound as serious as he could muster, before answering, "Curse or no curse, I really think we should go back now..." He was about to dish out some more reprimanding to his statement, since it would take a lot more effort to dissuade Sano once he got all worked up about something, when a deafening crack of thunder scattered his thoughts & rain began to fall in huge unnerving drops.

"Hurry! Let's take cover in the castle!" Sano prompted. Before Shinta could retort, he was already over the slope and bee-lining for the abandoned structure. Shinta let out a sigh of defeat, hauling himself up and much to his chagrin, followed suit.

* * *

The gigantic ancient wooden doors creaked open with lesser effort than expected, producing a long reverberating sound that made their insides quiver. Shinta literally dragged himself after Sano into the middle of room. It was huge and evidently once served as the reception hall. Sano quickly continued to survey the vast area of empty space, while Shinta stood still where his feet had left him. There was an unearthly aura in the room, as though they were being watched by unseen entities. He tried to see what was around him, but it was almost pitch dark and the angry breeze outside made moonlit shadows dance before him in the most phantom-like shapes. Shinta was trying to focus, he wasn't the type who got scared so easily. But-

A hand slammed down on his left shoulder. "Hey Shinta!" Sano interrupted his thoughts. The walls hurled spine-tingling echoes back at them. Shinta met his friend's face, trying to gather his witts.

"You take the east wing, and I'll take the west, okay?" Sano told him without even meeting his gaze. "Meet you back in half an hour!"

He stared speechless, as Sano made his way to the far end of the room where he ascended a flight of stone steps. Before his imagination could get the best of him, he took a deep breath and turned to ascend his own flight of steps.

A pang of damp and musty air met Shinta's senses. The higher he climbed, the thicker the air got around him. He shook himself, hoping to dispel the nausea building up in his gut, and proceeded almost mechanically. His hand touched the damp, icy walls and he eyed it lazily. This old structure was once a popular landmark that failed to draw fame to itself. Rumor has it that it was because misfortune after another had plagued all who set foot there. He wondered if any of it were true. He really didn't care to find out. Nevertheless, it was going to be abolished soon, to make way for some new government project. Ironically, it's as though the castle itself brought about it's own demise. So why in the world had Sanosuke suddenly taken interest in it?. He had been so insistent about going there, almost to the brink of _deathly urgency._ Deathly urgency... _deathly urgency_...Those words echoed in Shinta's mind before he passed out on the stone cold steps.

* * *

Sano continued to ascend the tower. He could not explain why his heart thumped so loudly. His body kept going forward, but unanswered questions were swimming in his mind_. "What am I looking for? ...It ...was only a dream, but I know I've been here before... how? ...I have to find out what it all means, before this place is destroyed forever!"_

Not aware of where his feet had led him, Sano now stood before a curious looking door. Judging by it's appearance, the door was thick & compact, about 10 feet high & 3 feet wide, made of sturdy looking wood that was steel-reinforced in it's hinges, it looked very intact and undisturbed. A peculiar characteristic for something that was more than a hundred thousand years old. He found a steel latch, he grasped it & tugged once...twice... it creaked wide open. "Too easy." Sano thought aloud, the sound of his own voice startling him, as it scattered, penetrating the walls. He squeezed in cautiously. Another set of stairs rested there. Much steeper, colder and situated narrowly in-between the tower's walls. Where the steps led, he could not see, it was pitch-black darkness now. His excitement was difficult to contain at this point. Its intensity masked out the fear which seemed to always mingle in nicely with curiosity, both overpowering in it's own nullified way. He proceeded nevertheless. As if the inevitability of the situation was his only recourse.

The air got thicker and thicker as he lifted each foot up, step by step, higher up the tower. He didn't even notice how the ascent seemed to take eternity, when he finally stopped before a smaller wooden door at the top. "This is it," he thought. Sanosuke turned the latch and stepped into the room beyond...

It was a small circular room illuminated by crystal clear moon beams that shone in from an open window. The only window. "I must be in the west tower room now..." Sanosuke surmised.

The room, unlike the rest of the damp castle, was dry, and a fresh evening breeze blew in steadily. He heaved deeply and began to scan his surroundings. There wasn't much to be seen except... a bed and...

Sano blinked a couple of times to make sure his vision wasn't playing tricks on him. On the plain wooden bed, lay a girl! A fair skinned girl, very young, maybe around seventeen; and all around her, long brown locks framed a saintly and serene face. She was lying so peacefully, both hands rested gracefully over her bosom, eyes closed, as if in deep sleep. Still bewitched by the strange sight, Sano moved closer until he was kneeling right next to her.

_"Sayo..."_

He heard himself half choke, half sob. A sharp familiar pain in his chest resurfaced...

...and he began to cry...

**Tsuzuku...**

* * *

**End Notes:**

Republished this with minor revisions. Already plotted this till the end but I haven't gotten around to writing it yet... Just haunted by my fave pairing in RK lately... thanks to Sambun No Ichi... u_u Hated the outcome of the Shimabara Arc, but I am grateful that darling Sanosuke was given a perfect partner... Meh, sorry, me-no-like Megumi! Too old for him. Feels so weird.


	2. Fate Strings

"**Even After****" **(Part 2 of 3)**  
**A Sanosuke x Sayo AU gothic romance by 'haunted' **Arachay  
**(reposted with minor revisions: 08-12-2012)

**Series: **Rurouni Kenshin (the anime)  
**Characters/Pairing:** Sanosuke Sagara & Sayo Magdaria (SanoSayo)  
**Genre:** Gothic Romance, AU, Tragedy  
**Warnings:** This is a bit depressing, very depressing for those who are more sensitive, and of course, for those who love Sano & Sayo, as much as I do... they really broke my heart bad. Also, character death...  
**Disclaimer:** Main characters based on Rurouni Kenshin created by Nobuhiro Watsuki

* * *

Part 2:** Fate Strings **

_Sanosuke lived a life in a past, but the memories he had then, are hidden deep within his soul. One by one they resurface as ghosts... as dreams... perhaps it will be these very same dreams are what will lead him to return to a life that once was..._

He tried to open his eyes, but his mind remained in slumber. Imprinted vividly in the twilight of sub-consciousness & reality, was a beautiful young lady he once knew as Sayo, her amorous voice and unfathomable green eyes; a lingering kiss on his lips. He wanted to be lost in these memories forever, but like a cold spring breeze & the smell of sweet dew drops after the rain, it was slipping away too soon. Too fast...

Suddenly a voice broke through his delirium, as the memories plummeted further down oblivion, the persistent voice jolted him awake.

"Wake up Sanosuke!" It boomed for the third impatient time.

Sanosuke groaned at the unwelcome intrusion. His numb hands reaching for the unbearable heat in his forehead. He found an ice bag resting there, but doing nothing whatsoever to alleviate his misery. Trying to sit up after being bedridden for long certainly wasn't an easy task, as the back of his head throbbed from insufficient blood circulation, and the pit of his stomach churned with nausea and hunger.

The owner of the voice, presumably their doctor, fidgeted about him, propping up pillows to ease him into position, while asking him how he felt. Sanosuke couldn't reply if he wanted to, his throat was painfully dry. Anyway, he knew this doctor merely asked for the sake of routine procedure...

He had been in bed like this for three days now, but it felt like weeks. The sleeping girl he met at the castle- was his last waking recollection. The only way he kept track of the days were the number of times he was administered medication. He was obliged to do so thrice a day. He had no idea what his ailment was, and was grateful for being so oblivious to it because he felt that any further knowledge would worsen his situation. Whatever it was, his friends and family were fussing about it a lot.

"How are you feeling Sanosuke?" The doctor asked Sanosuke again, the worried expression on his face told Sanosuke that this time the doctor really wanted to know. Sano swallowed the bitter drug gingerly then forced a reply, "Fine."

"Still been having those strange dreams?"

"No." he lied

"Well, that's good. You should do well to get sufficient sleep and sustenance." He patted Sanosuke's arm & left the bedside to talk with someone else inside the room. But Sanosuke didn't hear any of it. He laid back down & drifted off to sleep...

* * *

**Timeline:** 1820 Shikagi Valley, Nagasaki Prefecture

The Tenkusa palace that stands on the highest slope of the Shikagi valley has always been one of the richest in Nagasaki. But this did not mean that they were one of the most prosperous. The daimyos and common folk despised the shogunate severely, for his methods were no less than selfish and corrupt. The people of Shikagi Valley were determined to topple down the shogunate. They have been secretly planning a rebellion. A plan that has been in progress ever since the Tenkusa palace soldiers had first begun taking more taxes out of them than they could afford. The daimyos & common folk had no choice but to work even harder to comply to this. If they refused, they were to be punished. The severity of the punishment depended on the severity of their disobedience. Here, Sanosuke was the son of a prominent daimyo and Sayo, only daughter of the Shogun...

It's just like fate to make two such different people fall in love...

The night of the plan's execution came. The attack was short, simple and ruthless. The whole palace erupted in bright yellow flames, devouring all its inhabitants. Tormented sounds permeated the black smoke and fire greedily engulfed its walls. Not one had survived it... Not one...

"I promise to keep you safe. To protect you... I won't let you die!"

Sanosuke sat bolt upright. Out of breath and perspiring. He remembers everything clearly now... (though he should not)

_He remembers. _

Every dreadful and shocking detail.

* * *

"So the ghost that Sanosuke's been seeing was actually her?" Shinta exclaimed

"Possibly." Professor Tsuki Okami mused. He had just pulled a dusty old book from one of his wooden shelves and opened it to a picture of a beautiful young lady. "Chiyoru Tenkusa, more fondly known as 'Sayo', was the only daughter of the Shogun. Apparently, she had fallen in love with a daimyo's son, who had promised to meet her before the common folk carried out their plan of toppling the Tenkusa Shogunate... But somehow they didn't make it. Both died on the night of the attack. Ever since then, it has been said that her ghost still waits in that castle." Okami smiled as he handed the book to Shinta.

Shinta looked at the picture doubtfully, "But- But isn't that just folklore?"

"As far as I know, it is." Okami said thoughtfully. "The Tenkusa Palace was burned down more than a hundred years ago, but up to this day, people have refrained from setting foot in the castle. I've never been up there myself, I really can't tell..."

Shinta was silent for a few moments. He himself brought Sanosuke back from the castle that night, unconscious. Ever since then, Sanosuke had become ill, and was constantly plagued by nightmares and mumbling in his sleep...

Then suddenly something struck Shinta. "Professor! That castle is going to be demolished isn't it?"

"Yes. Supposedly, three days ago."

Shinta frowned. "Why didn't they push through with it then?"

"The heavy downpour made that fairly impossible." Okami replied. "But I've heard that they plan to demolish it tomorrow morning."

Shinta quickly ran through the text portions of the book & his eyes widened. "_It coincides...!"_

Okami's brow furrowed, "What does?"

Shinta held the open book out to him on his desk. "The date when the Tenkusa Palace burned down almost 200 years ago! It coincides with the date of the demolition tomorrow! The 28th of Febuary!"

Okami looked mystified despite his skepticism. He studied the date on the book carefully before speaking. "My goodness, you're right! What a strange coincidence..."

Shinta's mind raced. He most certainly didn't believe in ghosts or the like, but he had been to the castle once with Sanosuke, and he couldn't find an explanation for what he experienced: he passed out while exploring it. Shinta was sure he had suffocated due to a most peculiar reason... _That being smoke!_ The kind of thick heavy smoke that a fire would produce... Shinta recalled it with unmistakable accuracy, that even he found the prospect hard to accept. Did the castle have a particularly different effect on Sanosuke? Shinta tried not to get carried away by these ideas, but the feeling of dread that began to overtake him was impossible to ignore...

_**to be concluded...**_

* * *

**End Notes:**

Again, to clarify, Kenshin is called "Shinta" here. I used that name to signify that the Kenshin I used here is more like the first OAV Kenshin. (Not the wimpy Kenshin who acts like a pushover and licks Kaoru's feet... *shudders* Sorry, me-no-like Kaoru either. ) Some places and events here in the flashbacks are made up. I am very lazy when it comes to research, but maybe I'll revise this to more historical accuracy one day when I get the time... OTL


	3. The Promise

A Sanosuke x Sayo AU gothic romance by 'haunted' **Arachay **

"**Even After"**

_Love in its truest form, cannot die… It is beyond time & space, beyond the scope of what this world has perceived as reality. True love's beauty lies in what cannot be seen or touched, its weakness becomes its strength, its perfection in its flaws._

Part 3 of 3:** Yakusoku (The Promise)**

Darkness hung heavily, bringing terrors to the mind and despair to one's soul. Feverish and weak, he stumbled blindly forward, unrelenting. Sanosuke didn't even feel it when his knees crash into the rocks. He was too sick to feel pain. Everything just kept on spinning, faster and faster as the fragmented memories and long forgotten ghosts brought back to life by his return to the castle, began to haunt him…

_His tears trail down her cheeks when he leans in to kiss her gently, on the lips. And he brings her limp body closer to his in a fierce embrace, caressing her hair, mumbling endearments. Choking coughs break through the sobs, lurching violently with each exertion… his body remembers… he remembers… _

_The blood, the tears and the pain… _

_The heavy fog of acrid smoke filled the castle, stinging his open wounds and making his eyes water… The heat was so close now, licking and searing his flesh, still he clings on to her limp body. He had promised her, and he had made it, if only too late. But a promise is a promise. And he would die to keep it._

* * *

**The Past:** 1820 Nagasaki Prefecture, Tenkusa Palace*

She clambered to the huge tower window, the only window in her room. Weak from an illness that she had gotten upon birth, the smoke made her breathing even more labored; but she stood firmly rooted to spot by the window, nerves of steel governing her weak, sentenced body. She dared not move, she did not flinch, as she watched the blood-chilling spectacle of the holocaust below: The mass murders, the burning, and the cries of the innocent… the whole horrible, hellish war.

She did not believe in hell. But now as the world she knew was coming to a slow and painful end, her heart filled with despair, she realized that perhaps hell…

…was a choice_._

Now on the verge of death, her mind cruelly brought back her sweetest, happiest memories. It was particularly vivid and taunting as she was in so much suffering, but no, she would not falter, she faced them bravely, graciously…

_Sayo smiled up at the young man who held her hand tightly, lovingly as they sat under a huge cherry tree, yet to blossom…_

"It's funny how you can be so optimistic… despite all the bad things happening around us… happening to you."

"I used to be the opposite… I was sad all the time…" _She confessed with a sigh._ "But I've changed now…"_ Because of you… _

_The young man smiled. _"That's good to know. I don't think you would look as pretty if you were frowning all the time." _He teased squeezing her hand fondly._

"Is that so?" _She pouted playfully sitting up and pinching his nose before laughing and establishing some distance between them, daring him to chase her._

_Sanosuke smiled as he rubbed his nose, before taking chase and easily catching her in a tight embrace, all the while, her sweet laughter making his heart swell so much he felt it might burst. _

_She was an angel on earth, his personal angel. For someone like him who grew up with nothing but hardship and the pain of loss… it was like finding a sanctuary… a "heaven on earth" so to speak. He believed her words, even if he didn't really understand it… he just did. He couldn't deny how his own ideas about life and God have changed. His own life had never been a blessed one, and he never believed in anything divine or holy, and certainly anything close to heaven… Now, thanks to her, and her constant ratiocinations about it— he did not see, but he believed. But then she had told him: 'that was what faith was all about, was it not?'_

_It was love at first sight, but he did not know it. Before long, his life had suddenly taken on a different light. Suddenly, he was blessed unlike no other, to have her by his side, and own her heart. But ironically, the happier he was, the more sadness he felt. He grasped her hand tighter; fearful that these desperate moments of bliss would slip from him… the way even good dreams turn bad when they end too soon… he didn't want any of this to end. Not when his life was only starting to get sweet and serene after everything…_

_He couldn't help but scoff despite himself; the brave, tough Sanosuke Sagara, softened by this woman. He never saw it coming. Love can indeed make someone stronger and more vulnerable all at once. He didn't know which one he was at the moment, a knight in shining armor ready to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, to stake his life for his princess; Or a cowardly child wanting to stay in the warmth and comfort of a love's protective embrace; over fighting a war that could end it all too soon… _

_The truth is… he was scared. It was easy to be brave before, because he literally had nothing to lose. But now… he had everything to lose. It crushed him to imagine what life would be like without having to see those eyes and that smile._

"Isn't it funny…?"

"Hn?" _He replied absentmindedly, absorbed in his own thoughts as he caressed her soft long tresses._

"How things turned out like this…"_ She smiled, that sweet angelic smile. She slowly looked away, and upwards, lifting her hand towards the sky, gracefully tracing the clouds. _

_Sanosuke could only watch, speechless, his heart being crushed by the fragility of her beauty. He gripped her closer, more protectively. As if she would disappear. He felt so helpless like this. He has never felt so happy and yet so heartbroken at the same time…_

_If only… he wished. If only, he could stop time._

"Sano," _she began without looking, but continuing to be entranced by the cloud formations constantly changing, moving, at the mercy of the wind… _"Do you believe in heaven?"

_He heard the question in his mind, but said nothing, still transfixed as she traced the distant white tufts against blues. _

"I don't know." _He replied truthfully after a few seconds, startling himself with the softness of his own voice. He didn't believe in anything before he met her. He only believed in pain and suffering… and death. But now, as he held her there; soft and radiating with a warmth almost too sacred to behold… he felt like there was suddenly a ray of hope shining through. And this alienated him. But oddly, he didn't mind it. He liked it even. She only patiently waited for him to say more…_

"But if you want me to, I will…"

* * *

Everything was engulfed in flames, and the entire castle had been barricaded, there was no way out. There was only one thing prevalent in the air, the chill and stench of the holocaust. Everyone down below looked as though gripped by some strange demonic possession; the shrieks were deafening; the destruction, blinding; even the bright moonlit sky had turned crimson…

Sayo Tenkusa was trembling and cold. But she dared not close her eyes. She dared not miss anything, for the sanity of her soul depended on it. Her weak body faltered against the torment, but her mind… _her heart_, held steadfast, as though drawing power from some unknown force.

"_I will be waiting for you. Right here."_

"_And I promise, not even death can stop me from being there."_

In a matter of minutes, the fires that erupted below had engulfed everything, it was a sea of bright yellow and red, and she was going blind from the flames which rapidly found its way to the castle, licking up the stone walls, further enraged by the gunpowder and singed bodies. It caught in her nose, her throat and lungs, and finally, she heaved and choked; the force of the convulsions ripping through her; Her insides twisted and lurched, and blood stained the pale hands over her lips, but all she could think of… was Sanosuke… Hurriedly, she turned and ran, gripping the edge of her bed and tugging hard; struggling with mindless haste to pull the thick sheets around and over her, but she staggered, clumsily hitting the wooden table and some more effects that she could no longer see through the smoke. She had no time to feel any pain, she balanced herself by the window sill, poised and ready to jump the 20 foot drop to the ground if needed, teetering precariously; clammy, sweaty palms almost slipping, haphazardly bracing herself further out into the ledge, as the wooden beams above her chambers groaned and threatened to collapse from the intense explosions and heat. Now more than ever, she wanted to live. She wanted to cancel out everything else… the sounds of killing, the cries, the destruction, the scorching heat; even the sound of her heart's frantic beating and her violent ripping coughs… She would not allow disorientation to set in… She would live long enough to fulfill her promise, a promise to wait for him…

She closed her eyes and prayed that she would live long enough. Even just for a little bit more…

At least long enough to die in the arms of the man she loved.

* * *

**The Present**

Sanosuke Sagara was ill. He was always told so, but he never really listened to his mother. But then he didn't – never – felt sick in any way. Besides, he hated having people worry about him. He made sure he always wore a smile on his face, and coughed only when no one was looking, and made extra care not to let any of them catch him cleaning up the red stains on his clothes or bandana. When his mother asked him what he wanted on his 12th birthday, he requested a deep red bandana, one the color of blood (which his mother abhorred) but he merely smiled that bright happy smile he wore so well, saying red was his favorite color.

That same smile seemed to will all his ails away, for one day, he just stopped coughing, his chest stopped hurting, and he lived healthily and happily until his late teens –which was nothing short of a miracle, many would say. But he was too smart to continue to ignore the looks of pity and sympathy in their eyes even when he was no longer ill.

Shinta was the only one who didn't look at him like he was expecting him to keel over and die any moment. Well, maybe that was because he had met Shinta when he was well, he was never sick in front of his good-natured playmate. The truth is, Shinta felt like his keeper, the only person he could be himself with. And when he started coughing up blood and wheezing helplessly in front of Shinta only a few weeks ago, the look of shock and worry on the boy's face almost broke him.

The truth is… somehow… Sanosuke knew… he knew he was going to die. And he felt it in his every breath, not because it was weak; but because he had a zest for life that was unparalleled. He almost felt like he owed it to someone to be happy and to live fully… and he felt like he was bound by a promise to that someone… He always thought that maybe he was just a little bit crazy, because that someone, didn't exist. Or he never remembered… because this someone only appeared to him in his happiest dreams. (And usually the happy ones are the ones you don't remember when you wake up…)

The same someone he only finally met a few weeks ago, up in that castle tower. He was before that very same door now. He did not even stop to catch his breath or think, he jerked it open.

The raging fire beyond the door made him gasp, but he could not close his eyes. In the center of the room, amidst all the flames, stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she was smiling. Her arms flew out to him as he caught her in a mid-air embrace. And as they laughed and shared a long kiss, the flames suddenly dissolved into brightness; and down within the castle walls, singing and merriment can be heard. As he took her hand and bowed, asking for a dance, their clothes reverted to that of the night they first met; in one of the grand balls, when she had ventured into the garden and saw him standing there, alone.

Meanwhile outside, the terrified onlookers of villagers gathered round as the castle's fire gained intensity, slowly turning the great structure into a gigantic inferno…

Inside, none of the well-dressed guests really noticed, they were too busy laughing, toasting and celebrating the feast. Sanosuke and Sayo just kept on dancing to the music, enchanted in each other's eyes. Nothing can hurt them now. As long as they have each other, nothing else mattered.

And they knew it in their hearts… that soon, in a place called heaven… there was a happy even after waiting for them.

_**Epilogue:**_

Shinta worried greatly for his friend, and swore to keep watch over him until he regained his health. That night, he did not leave his friend's bedside, until he had dozed off. But when he awoke, Sanosuke was not there anymore. Fearing the worst, he ran out to find him. His feet somehow knew where to go before he did, because he just found himself in front of the ancient castle, which was now ablaze. The townspeople who had gathered there had been trying to put out the enormous fire for several hours, but in vain. So now, they merely gazed helplessly at the fiery spectacle, both in horror and awe… for the fire didn't stop burning. Not until nothing but charred ruins were the only traces left of the once majestic but eerie monument.

The castle was no more.

And somehow, Shinta knew… so was his friend.

It remained a mystery, how the fire started; And how Sanosuke Sagara vanished that day, and was never seen again.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Finally! It's finished! I have had this plotted out eons ago but I had a hard time laying it out. Gee, I hope there aren't any inconsistencies with the previous chapters, it's been so long! The flashbacks can get confusing I know, but simplifying it further, would lessen the drama & flow I wanted to achieve.

(Wow, I am not used to writing hetero-pairings anymore haha!)

I wanted this to take place sometime after the series, sort of like, an afterlife, but not too far in the present. I'm pretty sure my dates have inconsistencies with that though. Urk.

*****Whatever names and dates I used were based roughly on guesswork, backed by very minimal research. Also any similarities to actual people or places are purely coincidental.

Thank you so much for reading!

**To Those Who Faved & Reviewed Please Read!**

I tried to PM you guys to thank you (I know I am very, terribly, unforgivably late in doing so), but I really am grateful. Sadly, I can't PM because some of you have no emails or accounts or "PM" buttons on your page. Anyway, sorry for taking so long. But you have my love to this day! Thanks & much love~!


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